Fuse for projectiles



Feb. 26, 1935. H. s. TOWNER' FUSE FOR PROJECTILES Filed Nqv. 1, 1932 Inventor Harul d I; -Tnwner- Patented Feb. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT v OFFICE FUSE FOR PROJECTILES' Harold G. Towner, New Haven, Conn. Application November 1, 1932, Serial No. 640,657 3 Claims.- (91.10249) (Granted under the act'of March 3, 1883, as amended April *30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The fuse is characterized by a novel employment of an ejectable bolt interposed in the paths of movement of a firing pin and primer-detonator carrier; .by a simple and efiicient arrangement for maintaining the carrier against rotation; andby a striker adapted to be driven home on light 'or heavy impact.

With the foregoing and other objects in; view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. e

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the improved fuse showing the parts in unarmed position. I

. Fig. 2 is a similar view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

The" fuse comprises a body 5 adapted to be screwed into a threaded recess formed 'in the nose of a projectile. The front end of the body is provided with a large cavity 6 and threadedly receives a cone-shaped nose 7 having an annular shoulder 8 engageable with the rim 9 of the body.

The inner end of the nose isspaced from thefloor of the cavity 6 whereby a large expansion chamber is provided.

The nose is likewise formed with a cavity 10 for receiving a. cup-shaped striker 11 having a reduced stem 12 extending through an aperture 13 in the base of the nose. The striker is retained in the forward part of the cavity, but notprotruding therefrom, by means of a shearppin 14 passing through the striker and the nose.

A firing pin 15 carried by the striker extends through an aperture 16 in the body 5 and has its point disposed in a trough 17 formed in a bolt 18 that is disposed transversely of the body on a line intersecting the axis of the fuse in a manner similar to the arrangement shown in Patent No. 1,375,466. The bolt is adapted to be ejected during flight by a spring 19 but is normally held in position within the body by a spring-pressed plunger 20 withdrawable from en'- gagement therewith upon set-back when the projectile is fired. A .cotter pin '21- passing through the body and plunger is provided for holding the plunger immovable in storage and transportation. It is removed prior to loading the projectile in a gun or mortar.

A slide 22 movable in a pasage 23 in the body at right angles to the bolt 18 carries a primer 7 detonator 24. The slide is cylindrical and has a fiat face 25 on its under side. A thimble 26 confining a column of the booster charge 27 has its closed end projecting into the passage 23 to cooperate with the fiat face 25 in maintaining the slide against rotation. The inner end of the slide is cut away as at 28 for receiving the bolt 18. The bolt thereby holds the slide in unarmed position with the primer detonator 24 out of line with the firing pin. A coil spring 29 seated on a plug 30 threaded to the body and closing the passage 23-tends to move the slide 'to armed position. A groove 31 is provided in the upper surface of the slide to insure clearance for the point of the firing pin during movement of the slide.

An aperture 32 is formed in the body for establishing communication between the passage 23 and the expansion chamber 6. This aperture is positioned in alignment with the primer detonator when in unarmed position and if the detona tor is accidently set ofi the gases will flow into the expansion chamber.

The booster charge 27 is disposed in a cup 33. threadedly secured in a cavity in the rear end or base of the body 5.

The fuse is in the unarmed position when the parts are arranged as shown in'Figs. 1 and 2. Upon firing a projectile equipped with the fuse the plunger v20 sets back and releases the bolt 18 which is ejected by its spring 19 after the projectile leaves the. gun or mortar. The removal of the bolt releases the slide 22 which is moved by its spring 29 to the opposite side of the passage 23 and is arrested with the primer detonator lined up with the firing pin and the column of of the booster charge in the thimble 26. The slide is held against rotation by virtue of the relation between its fiat face 25 and the thimble 26.

If the nose of the fuse strikes on soft ground, the ground packs into the, cup-shaped striker anddrives it inwardly shearing the pin 14. If the impact is on a more or less solid substance the entire nose will be forced inwardly, stripping the annular shoulder 8 and the threaded connection between the nose and the body.

I claim:

1. In a fuse, a body having a cylindrical passage, a slide mounted in the passage for movement therein and having an irregular surface, a

primer detonator carried by the slide, a thimble mounted in the body and projecting into the passage, said thimble cooperating with a part of the irregular surface of the slide whereby the slide is held against rotation and the primer-detonator is positionable in line with the thimble upon movement of the slide, and an explosive charge in the thimble.

2. In a fuse, a body having a cavity in its forward end, a nose formed with a cavity in its forward end and having its inner end spaced from the floor of the cavity in the body, said nose having an annular shoulder seating on the rim of the body and having a threaded connection with the body, said shoulder and threaded connection adapted to strip on heavy impact, a cup-shaped striker housed in the cavity of the nose but not protruding therefrom, and a shear pin for holding the striker in place. v

3. In a fuse, a body having a cavity in its forward end, a. nose formed with a cavity in its forward end and having its inner end spaced from the floor of the cavity in the body, said. nose having an annularshoulder seating on the rim of the body and having a threaded connection with the body, said shoulder and threaded connection adapted to strip on heavy impact, a striker housed in the cavity of the nose, and a shear pin for holding the striker in place.

HAROLD G. 'IOWNER. 

